1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage medium storing a game program therein and a game apparatus for executing such a game program, and more specifically to a storage medium storing a puzzle game program therein for displaying a plurality of blocks on a screen and erasing the blocks in accordance with a predetermined rule and a puzzle game apparatus for executing such a puzzle game program.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-54986 (hereinafter, referred to as “patent document 1”) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-38047 (hereinafter, referred to as “patent document 2”), games of displaying a plurality of puzzle elements such as blocks or panels on a game screen and erasing the puzzle elements in accordance with a predetermined rule have been proposed.
A game apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 presents a so-called object dropping games, in which puzzle elements fall down from the top of a game screen. In the game specifically disclosed in patent document 1, the player is to manipulate capsule-like puzzle elements, each formed of two areas of different colors, to fall down such that same color areas are piled up. The puzzle elements disappear in accordance with how the same color areas are piled up.
A three-dimensional puzzle game apparatus disclosed in patent document 2 presents a game in which a plurality of randomly colored panels are elevated from the bottom of a game screen. In the game specifically disclosed in patent document 2, the player is to replace adjacent panels with each other such that same color panels are adjacent to with each other. The panels which are thus contiguously positioned are erased.
In both of the game programs executed by the game apparatuses disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2, the player is to directly manipulate the puzzle elements to move on the game screen. The player plays the game until he/she will fall into the situation where no more puzzle elements can be displayed on the game screen in any minute. Such a game rule has been used ever since general object dropping games were first created. The games disclosed in patent document 1 and 2 both adopt this rule in a more complicated manner. Therefore, these games cannot be easily played by beginners.